The field of the present invention is structural design of vehicle cargo beds.
Cargo carrying trailers of all types including full trailers and semi-trailers, whether flatbed, enclosed or specialty fabrication, benefit from weight reduction in view of fuel costs and environmental considerations. As a result, such vehicles are employing lighter materials and enhanced structural design.
The foregoing changes have resulted in issues regarding incompatibility of different metals, changes in direct and fatigue strength and compatible assembly mechanisms. This has all translated into new design requirements and increased labor costs in assembly.